At a status hearing on Feb. 6, a homicide defendant accepted a plea deal before DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman.
Raymond Mathis, 38, was originally charged with conspiracy, first-degree felony murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and attempted robbery while armed. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Matthew Miller on Sept. 5, 2023 on the 200 block of M Street, SW. The incident also left two surviving victims with gunshot wounds.
De’Andre Sams, 30, and Keshawn Lavender, 24, both previously pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed for their involvement in the incident. Sams was sentenced on Oct. 17, 2025 to 11 years in prison and Lavender was sentenced on Jan. 23 to seven years in prison.
During the status hearing, Mathis’ defense attorneys, Carrie Weletz and Tammy Thom, said that he agreed to a deal from prosecutors to plead guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining charges against Mathis.
As part of the plea, the prosecution and the defense agreed to a sentence of seven years of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, subject to Judge Edelman’s approval at sentencing.
The prosecution said if the case had proceeded to trial, they would have presented DNA and ballistics evidence, in addition to surveillance footage. They said the evidence would have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mathis was at the scene of the offense and involved in Miller’s murder.
Judge Edelman expressed satisfaction with the factual basis of the plea offer and the voluntary nature of Mathis’ decision to enter the plea.
Parties are slated to reconvene on May 1 for sentencing.
